Colder than Winter
by AiJay
Summary: Sonic X was the closest I could get, but this is Sonic BOOM. (similar, but way cooler.) It starts when the mysterious Winter accidentally crash lands in the midst of our favorite heroes, but after striking a deal with Eggman, she can't figure out which side of the war she's on. So why not have fun with both? A little heavy on the OC, but there's SonAmy, so...
1. Crash Landing

_(A/N): Hello, my wonderful readers! Please forgive me for the long absence. Stuff happens. Life is different now. But over the course of my disastrous adventure, I found another fandom to distract myself in! I am still relatively new to Sonic and Company, but I like the story, and I hope you will, too, so please enjoy. Reviews are love! And I can no longer directly respond to them, so apologies for that, as well, but I will try my best to stay and update stories. So now for Sonic BOOM!_

Winter was almost dead. She had been swimming for days, lost at sea with no protection from the elements. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it much longer.

Finally, her feet scraped at sand, and she dragged herself from out of the water, coughing up the salty brine from her lungs. She wanted to rest her eyes for a moment. After struggling for days, she simply did not have the energy to keep on going. She fell onto the shore, letting the tide wash at her feet. She fell into a light rest. It was the middle of the night, leaning towards morning. She would have to get on the move again, soon.

The sky lit up, rousing her. She did not have the strength to move. Her brain could barely process the information as was. She heard the explosions blasting around her. One of them landed dangerously close in the ocean. It was a meteor shower, at her best guess. Between being pushed to her limits and then being left vulnerable at the hand of the elements, she knew she didn't have more than a few hours, at the most.

Footsteps surrounded her the following morning, but she didn't open her eyes. They came closer and closer, until someone gasped. "Sonic!" A high voice cried out. "Sonic, help me!"

"What's the matter, Tails?" The 'Sonic' figure came closer, then let out what could only be called a scream. "Omigosh, is that a person?"

"Yeah. She's been here for a few hours, I think. Hard to tell. She's still alive. We have to help her."

"Alright. Alright. I'll carry her to Amy's. She looks really sunburned. Is that blood? Do you have anything to help that?"

"Yeah. I'll check the medicine cabinet. I'll be right back!" Tails dashed off.

Sonic picked up the girl, and her eyes fluttered to half-open at the best. She was able to make sense of the blue hedgehog holding her, with the soft bandana wrapped around his neck. She pressed her face against it, inhaling gently.

"Are you awake?" Sonic exclaimed. "Can you hear me?"

She didn't respond. He could tell she was tense, but her motion was feeble, at best.

Sonic responded to her silence, anyways. "It's alright. You're in a safe place now. We'll take care of you."

An hour later, Winter was resting on a soft bed of cushions. Amy had given her a cleansing, healing herbal bath, and a fresh change of clothes. Tails had played the medic, wrapping various wounds in bandages. Winter was finally able to get the rest she needed. She was tired of the heavy stress on both her mind and body. Her fight wasn't over yet, though.

"I don't like it," Sticks growled from the back of her throat. "She's a spy, sent from the darkest corners of the earth."

Ooh. Nail on the head, right there.

"I think she's just hungry," Amy said, listening to the stranger's stomach growl. "I'll start making some noodle soup."

"I think you'll have to hold that thought," Knux said, ripping Amy's door off it's hinges. "Eggman's attacking!"

"Knuckles, why did you break my door?" Amy demanded.

"Don't be so angry," Knux said, putting it back in place. "Eggman will probably just destroy it anyways."

As soon as he said those words, a missile blew up the door. "No!" Amy wailed.

"See?" Knux said defensively. "I am never to blame!"

"What about the time you shot the missile?" Tails asked, crossing his arms.

"That wasn't my fault," Knux said with his nose in the air.

"Actually, it was," Tails said skeptically.

"Oh." Knux was confused, but it didn't matter. Everyone rushed outside to work in the fight.

Winter waited until everyone had left before she stepped out of the makeshift bed. After that, she crawled through the window and stepped in the shadows around the house. The fight was short lived. In fact, she almost fell asleep watching it, but she had more important matters to keep her focused.

Eggman was scurrying away in his hover device. Winter used the last of her remaining strength to climb a tree and jump, soaring through the air. She grabbed the device by the edge, hanging dozens of feet above the water.

"Eh?" Eggman exlcaimed. "Hey, get off kid, the fight's over!"

"I'm not here to fight," Winter cried out. Her voice still felt weak, but she tried to speak with as much authority as her ability allowed. "Not with you, anyways. Set us down somewhere safe, and I'll explain everything."

They hovered to the lair. "Say one thing I don't like and I'll drop you into the ocean," Eggman threatened.

Winter almost laughed. "You're not the first one who's done that. I was swimming for four days straight before I washed up on the shore over there. The little rodents found me this morning."

"So why not stay with them, if they're the ones helping you?" Eggman asked.

"I don't need their help. Just money. And I'm willing to do anything to get it," Winter explained. "I'm very skilled, and I work at a great price."

"Why not you go to G.U.N., then?" Eggman asked. "They've got lots of dirty jobs available. I don't need your conscience on my hands."

"No, but it would help. I can't turn to the government because I'm in trouble with them, too. Allow me to introduce myself and the real reason why I'm here. Then," Winter promised. "You can be the judge of whether I stay or not."

It was a long conversation. Eggman's eyes were wide by the time she finished. "Well. There's a guest room at the top level. The room, board, uniform, and necessary accessories will come free. We'll discuss your pay tomorrow."

Winter's jaw dropped a little. She hadn't been expecting that much of an offer. Bit by bit, the pieces in her brain clicked together. "You're really a kind person, aren't you?"

"Absolutely not," Eggman cried out. "Having you on my side has all sorts of advantages. You're after the money, which I don't care about. I know your skills will prove useful. Your uniform will be delivered to your room tomorrow morning. Be up by five o'clock. We will immediately discuss strategies. However I suspect you came here with a few in mind."

"Wow, you're smart enough to be a doctor," Winter said.

Eggman was ready to facepalm, but he sighed it off instead. "Any last requests before curfew?"

Winter's stomach growled loudly, and the whole evil lair shook. "I haven't eaten in a week. Got anything left in the fridge?"

After she had eaten five buckes of icecream, three bags of popcorn, and the rest of the evil ham, Winter was finally able to rest peacefully in the evil guest bedroom. It had been a long time since she had slept in a nice room, with blankets to keep warm. She had dedicated her life to her work, and that usually meant she didn't get a chance to take care of herself. Eggman truly was kind. He honored her goal and was generous with his offers, but it was requiring a lot of work on her behalf. She had pledged to do anything but kill, and mostly because that was what had gotten her into the mess to begin with.

 _(A/N): If you don't like OC, please stop reading. And I know it was a little ambiguous but I plan to work around that, so please hang tight! Like I said, I can't respond to reviews but I will still read them, so send comments and requests. Adieu for now, amazing reader!_


	2. Plan 1: Party!

_(A/N): I'm back with a new chapter! Apologies for things that don't line up quite right. I'm still slightly new to this fandom, so it's going to get a little crazy, but that's the best part of the ride, huh? Enjoy chapter two!_

Winter's uniform was delivered to her by the AI Cubot. She suspected it had been perfectly tailored the night before. It was a dress version of Eggman's uniform, short but modest enough. It was accompanied with grey knee length stockings and tan leather utility/combat boots. For accessories, she had matching goggles with blue glass orbs that projected a holoscape screen to her view only. She was even allowed a wrist communicator. She looked like a slim, feminine, adorable version of the actual Eggman.

"Hooray! It's the perfect minion look!" Eggman squealed. "Quick, matching selfies."

"How much am I getting paid to advertise your look?" she asked after he had snapped the picture. It was the kind that printed instantly. Old school, new memories.

Eggman frowned. "A thousand bucks."

"Works for me," Winter grinned proudly, stuffing the cash in her pocket. "Alright. Let's get down to business." They worked for three hours straight, then took a quick coffee break, then worked for another two hours before the prototype was complete. "Look!" Winter exclaimed, holding up a ruby necklace. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Amazing! And the entire plan is written in this notebook, here." He flipped through pages of carefully calculated algorithms, then shot through it with a blaster gun. It disintegrated to ashes. "Hopefully you committed everything to memory, because we can't have anybody reading that."

"I'm good," Winter nodded.

"Perfect! Initiating stage one of the plan," Eggman laughed evilly. He tied the necklace around her throat, and she shivered once. Like a robot being reprogrammed. "How do you feel, Winter?"

Winter stared straight ahead. "Perfect, Doctor Eggman. Ready to annihilate Sonic the Hedgehog."

Eggman chuckled evilly, then rubbed his hands together. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. They need to get used to you, first. Which is perfect, since one of his rodent team members has been nominated for an Awardy-Award."

"They need to come up with a better name for those, Sir."

"Indeed. But that's beside the point. See, since I have also been nominated an Awardy-Award, we can meet them at the event tonight."  
"You were nominated, Sir?"  
"I have a ballot bot. But that's beside the point. I'll have Orbot find a dress for you..." he met her blank stare with a frown. "And no, that will not be deducted from your paycheck. So tonight, in return for you being my female consort to the event, I will pay you four thousand dollars. Spend your time wisely. Meet all of Sonic's friends. Study them, to the best of your ability. The faces you see tonight will be the ones you fight in the future."

"Yes, Sir." Winter's gaze did not break.

Eggman laughed evilly. "I am loving that necklace! What about you?"

"It's perfect, Sir," Winter said blankly.

"Good, good." Something was already distracting Eggman. "Go get ready. Decorate your room or do something useless like that while you wait. But _be prepared_ for tonight."

"I will not disappoint you," Winter promised. With stiff, robotic movements, she stalked off to her room.

Eggman took the next few minutes to ponder quietly to himself. Winter was in an extremely delicate situation. She couldn't fight it off, but she would be brutal in her attempts.

Later that night, Eggman walked Winter to the door of the ballroom. He was dressed in his only outfit, and she stood out boldly next to him in a sleek black dress. The ruby on her throat gleamed brightly. No one could miss it. "This is my female consort," Eggman told the usher. The usher blinked, unsure of how to respond. Eggman was offended by the silence. "And if you don't like her, I'll blast you to pieces."

"We should have had lessons before coming here," Winter muttered.

"Alright, alright. Go have fun. Mingle and hang out with the kids," Eggman encouraged as soon as they made it inside. Winter was more than happy to leave his side.

She first stumbled upon Knuckles, who was being a class clown and bringing life and soul to the party. She faked a stumble, and landed against his arm. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, curtsying an apology.

"Hey, you look familiar," Knuckles squinted at her.

"Oh?" Winter tilted her head, preparing to converse about the previous morning.

"Yeah..." Knux tapped his head. "Did we go to a geology class together?"

"Um... I can't say that we have," Winter said lightly.

"That's right!" Knux said suddenly. "I didn't go to school!"

Winter sweat-dropped. Knuckles was probably very skilled in a specific area, but right now, she knew all she needed to know about him. He was a moron. With that in mind, she moved onto the next subject.

She bumped into the badger girl, the one who had been nominated for the reward. "You don't stink!" the poor girl shouted nervously.

Winter curtsied again. "Thank you kindly for the compliment, Miss."

Sticks suddenly became suspicious. "You're some kind of government spy, aren't you?" she hissed.

This told Winter enough. She leaned in close to whisper. "No. I'm hiding from them, actually." Not a lie, but not all necessary to explain at the moment.

Surprise and enlightenment manifested itself on the badger's face. "Oh! You're one of them..." she whispered. She suddenly became elated. "Good luck, then, miss! It's so good to see you doing well!"

"You, too," Winter waved inconspicuously, a happy smile on her face. This job was unbelievably fun.

"Sticks! It's almost time for you to-" Amy came rushing into place. "Omigosh, it's you!" She shouted at Winter. Everyone turned to stare.

Winter looked left, then right. "I'm sorry. I think you might have me confused with somebody."

"Oh..." Amy turned as red as her dress. Guests began to whisper around her. "I'm sorry, I..."

Winter felt slightly bad, so she came to the hedgehog's rescue. "That's alright. I've been told I have that kind of face. I don't mind it, though. Would you mind telling me where you bought that dress? It's absolutely lovely! The seams are so finely crafted. I would love to own something half as magnificent as that in my wardrobe."

Guests began to mutter in approval, and the group that had been staring began to disperse. "Oh! This old thing?" Amy twirled, modeling her dress. "I made it myself. You really like it?"

"Beautiful _and_ skilled. I like your style. Stay bold," Winter encouraged, then walked off.

"Wow..." Amy muttered, staring off at her.

"I know, right?" Sticks said happily, sticking her hands on her hips.

Three out of five. Just two more to go. Winter peered into the mingling crowd and picked out the blue hedgehog. He was talking to someone, but she didn't see that as a reason to stay away. She grabbed his arm, startling him slightly. "Hello," she said, smirking.

"Oh, I uh..." Sonic turned back to the person he had been chatting with, but they were already walking away. He then turned to face Winter, and then his jaw dropped. "Uh... Aren't you the girl from..."

Winter rolled her eyes. "There must be someone as fabulous as me somewhere on this island, because people keep on saying I remind them of her. But no, this is my first time visiting. Since it being, would you be so kind as to do me the honor of this dance?"

"Of course!" Sonic exclaimed. "You seriously remind me of her, though... You're the spitting image."

"Is she also graceful and charming?" she asked, twirling perfectly in rhythm. "A heck of a dance partner? Witty and cute?"

"I didn't get to spend much time with her," Sonic admitted. "I didn't even know her name."

They danced in silence for a few beats. "You're not even going to ask _my_ name?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sonic chuckled. "I don't need to know your name. I know everything I need to know about you."

"Oh, yeah?" Winter raised one of her perfectly done eyebrows. "What all would that be?"

"First, you _are_ cute," Sonic admitted, holding her out, then pulling her close. "I've memorized your face, so I guess I won't mistake you again. And also, you are way too young for me. Kid."

Winter stopped dancing, suddenly. Her break in movement tore through the atmosphere like a knife through fabric. "I have a name, Faker."

Sonic froze. "Why did you just call me that?" It wasn't like he hadn't been called that before. But by a complete stranger? Something had to be going on.

"And I'm older than you are!" Winter exclaimed.

"Fifteen?" Sonic asked. "I just turned."

"I'm almost sixteen!" Winter snapped, storming away.

She made mental notes on Sonic. He was confident. That wouldn't be hard to break.

Last was the fox kid. She couldn't figure out how to talk to him. He had a warm, friendly smile. She would actually feel bad about lying to him or plotting. But she was onto something bigger. She couldn't spare time to be emotional. The ruby on her neck made her shiver.

She was about to ask Tails something, but he turned to face her, instead. "Good evening," he smiled, like a true gentleman.

"Evening, sir." Winter dipped into a curtsy. "I was wondering..."

"Is it okay if I dance with you?" Tails asked, extending his arm. "I saw you talking to Sonic. He said you were like the girl from earlier, and..." he panicked for a moment, losing track of words. "Uh, what a nice perfume you're wearing," he said, chipper.

She laughed coyly along. "That's so sweet of you. I'm Winter."

"My name is Miles, but you can call me Tails." He never stopped smiling as he spoke. Everything about the night was absolutely perfect. The slow soft music, the lights... "Excited for the awards?" he asked, continuing to stir up a conversation.

"More than," Winter promised. On that cue, Eggman unleashed one of his robots. Winter watched, amused, as the party erupted into chaos.

"Get back," Tails said defensively. "Me and my friends will take care of this."

Winter watched as they did. The robot was weak, but it didn't need to be strong to make a mess. The plan was so unbelievably simple, it was entertaining to view. The whole room was smoldering by the time it was over. Eggman stepped away from the picture as the heroes reassembled.

"How's that for exciting?" Tails asked, running back towards her. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect," Winter promised, her lips pinched into a smile. "It looks like my male consort is taking his leave. That means I must be on my way, as well."

Tails stared in disbelief as Winter crossed over to stand by Eggman. "You're with _him_?" he exclaimed. There was a new edition on the hovercraft, an extended platform where Winter could stand. She was secured by the side. There wasn't the comfort of sitting and resting, but it was still an efficient way of travel.

"Have a nice night, friends." Winter blew a kiss and waved as Eggman flew off. Her dark hair and dress trailed off dramatically into the essence of the night.

Five rodent islanders stared off, both confused and enchanted at the scene that flew from them.

 _(A/N): Humble thanks to all my followers and readers. Love you all so much! Also, reviews are love! Have a great day :D_


	3. Brain Escape

_(A/N): Is it annoying to hear from the author at the beginning of a chapter? If so, please let me know. I just like to greet my readers (if any…) so please review! I hope you like this chapter!_

Winter paced back and forth in the room, wearing the uniform once again. It was annoying as far as colors, and she hated having to match someone who couldn't even properly program a destructive robot. She had helped him with it all day, but the most material she could bring to the table was all she learned in her high school engineering class. She had learned a lot working with Eggman, but they were at a loss for how to effectively use the robot for maximum destruction.

"Ugh..." Eggman was disappointed beyond typical measure. And that was a lot of measuring considering the fact that he was always disappointed. "I've stayed up all night. I'm too tired to keep on programming."

Winter snapped her fingers. "Maybe it doesn't have to be programmed to perfection. I have another idea."

"I love it!" Eggman exclaimed, holding a notebook over the flames.

"Would you cut that out?" Winter blew the ash away from her clothing. "Burning books is illegal. You don't even have to write everything down. You're wasting paper."

"I'm evil! It's what I do!" Eggman cried out.

"No, you're a nuisance. _I'm_ evil," Winter growled.

Eggman only smiled in response. "And you don't even _want_ to be. Isn't it a pain how you can't turn back? I bet you're tired of living like this, but there's nowhere for you to go!"

Winter sighed, but the guilt was the refreshing reminder she needed to stay focused. "Let's get a move on while I'm in a bad mood."

"Right," Eggman agreed. "Are you wearing your necklace?"

"Yes, sir." She readjusted the chain. The giant ruby had seemed pretty at first, but now it was just a pain. She couldn't wait to get rid of it.

The attack seemed boring. "Where's your giant robot?" Sonic asked, standing with his arms braced, and trying to ignore the beautiful character standing beside Eggman. "We're ready to fight whatever monstrosity you send our way."

"Oh, make the girl feel bad, will you?" Eggman asked, grinning his evil grin. Winter jumped off the side of the craft and took a fighting stance in front of the team. "Well, since you're always breaking my beautiful robots, I decided to send you something you couldn't break. Notice this beautiful necklace that our darling Winter is modeling? It's infused with nanobot microbes that are bending her very will to mine. And she's also a homeless stranger I kidnapped… Er, I mean, found. I'm sure no one will mind her being in battle."

"That's slavery!" Amy cried out, suddenly angry. "You could go to jail for that!"

"I chose to work with Doctor Eggman," Winter said, almost robotically.

"How do we know that's not the necklace talking?" Tails asked, also angry. Winter had proved to be a polite, sophisticated member of society, homeless or otherwise. She didn't deserve that necklace.

"You never will," Eggman said gleefully. "She's practically programmed to kill you all, but remember: You can't hit a girl! Get 'em, Winter!"

"Yes, Master," she agreed, then dashed forwards. She wasn't Sonic fast, but she was lethal in her strikes. The two weakest were Amy and Tails. She knocked them off their feet right away.

Knuckles was disappointed. "Sonic, Egg Face is right. I can't hit her! I don't know what to do!"

"You could start by breaking free?" Sonic suggested. In his distraction, Knux had been tied up completely to a palm tree.

"Right," Knux answered, and then he began struggling his way out.

Winter focused in on Sticks, who was mercilessly attacking with her boomerang. "Sticks, we need to not hurt her," Sonic reminded the badger. Winter didn't care one way or another. She was extremely efficient with well placed punches, and she didn't mind the minor trail of blood down the length of her face.

"There is no code for woman versus woman," Sticks seethed. "And that's no woman! She's being mind controlled! I told you all it was real, and now you're suffering more than you realize! This girl is just the first. They take the homeless ones, the ones that no one will notice are gone. And then they move inwards. Soon, they'll attack. Don't you see? We need to fear the end-"

"I think you're at the end," Sonic said. Likewise to Knux, Stix had also been tied up during the epiphany to her soul. Sonic turned to face Winter. Going into a Sonic spin would be way too painful for her, not to mention he wanted to avoid shredding her to bits. He could use his super speed to get away, but under the mind control, Winter would just chase after him until she fell apart. He stared at the bright jewel on her throat as she advanced at a confident pace. "What's all in the ruby?" Sonic asked.

This made Eggman happy. "I'm so glad you asked! It was a real long project. I started it years ago, in all honesty. I've been perfecting it bit by bit, and suddenly, a test subject showed up right at your door! I mean, my door. Anyways, it's got some really intense robotic waves that have instantly connected with the frontal cortex of her brain, so the essence of her mind is located in and directed by the nanobots in the jewel. Neat, huh?"

Winter was less than ten feet away. Sonic smirked and rushed past her. As he did, he yanked the necklace off the chain and thrust it at a rock, where it shattered into billions of pieces.

"No!" Eggman cried. "That was my only prototype! Worse, I have no clue what the side affects were. You can't just rupture a direct link with the brain!"

Sonic turned to Winter who had fainted, but otherwise seemed alright. "Get out of here, Eggman. And don't ever use a person like that again."

Eggman seemed to glower, but he shrugged off the negative emotions. "Whatever. She was homeless, anyways. Not like she'll ever amount to much. Have fun, being good and providing shelter and all that charity stuff. The fight didn't even last long. Maybe I need bigger robots to get the job done… Yes, much bigger…." He did his famous evil laugh and then hovered off into the sky on his device.

Winter groaned and rubbed her forehead. "What… What just…." She sat up to face five curious souls. She jumped back a little and yelped with shock. "You guys are the ones that rescued me!"

Sonic knelt down beside her, checking for a fever and inspecting the damage of the cut that Stix had afflicted. "What all do you remember, Kid?"

Winter looked down at the name calling, but turned her emotions away. "Well, it was really cold. And there was a giant object that hit the ground, and I think it hurt me. Kinda like a meteorite or something. And then there was a nice bubble bath, band-aids and bandages, and then… Nothing."

"Memory loss," Tails explained. "The connection must have been so strong with the nanobots that it doesn't exist in her head. So theoretically she'd have no recollection of the previous chapter."

"Wait, what?" Winter asked, her eyes widening. "What happened? What day is it? Why am I dressed in these ridiculous clothes?"

"Don't worry," Amy said as reassuring as she could manage. "I know you don't know this, but you've been put through a really difficult situation. I'm prepared to help you with that. You remember the guest bedroom, right? You can stay with me until you get a job. And let's find you a new outfit..."

"I don't know how I'd ever be able to repay you," Winter said with tears bubbling up in her eyes.

"Oh, you don't have to. As long as you're a better roommate than Eggman, I think I'll survive," Amy chuckled.


	4. Expectations

"Pillow fight!" Winter exclaimed for the hundredth time that day, appearing from literally nowhere and swinging a feathered pillow down on Amy's head.

"I don't know why I asked for this much," Amy sighed, continuing to chop vegetables for lunch. "Winter, could you see how your actions might be viewed as distracting, at all?"

"Yeah," Winter said bluntly. "I am trying to distract you from a boring chore so you can loosen up a bit and have some fun. You're the most uptight person I've ever met."

"Well, that's because I need to take care of you!" Amy exclaimed. "I appreciate that you help out with things, but you're still new to this establishment. What if something were to go wrong? You'd never know if-"

"You're worried that I'll turn on you guys again?" Winter asked, abandoning her pillow back on the sofa.

Amy's face grew as pink as her dress. "No! Of course not! I wouldn't ever-"

"It's alright, you don't have to be so freaked out. In fact, you're right to worry. It's healthy. I understand how I've been annoying recently. If you want me to move in with Sticks or something..."

"No, I like having a roommate," Amy protested. Suddenly she was feeling very guilty. How wrong of her to rat out on a girl. Just because she was in poor circumstances didn't mean that any of it was her fault. "You're right, Winter. I am too uptight. We should do something together to loosen up and relax. Wanna go to the hot springs?"

"Now you're talking!" Winter exclaimed. "I'll clear up the rest of my schedule. It's going to take a few hours to prepare, and then we'll enjoy the rest of the evening there?"

Amy sighed with content. "Finally, someone who speaks 'girl'. I'll message Sonic to pick us up something from Mehburger. See you in a few hours!"

"Wait, you're not going to play volleyball with us?" Knux asked as Winter swung out the door.

"No, I cleared my schedule so that I could go to the hot springs," Winter explained, flipping on her sunglasses. "Me and Amy are going to have a girl's day."

"And I wasn't invited?" Sticks cried out, suddenly hurt. "Not that I would have accepted, but Amy is supposed to have more faith in me! Oh, forget the garbage today. I'm comin' to the hot springs! C'mon, Kuckles, let's go." She looked left then right, then muttered under her breath. "That way nobody can conspire..."

"What's the big idea?" Sonic asked, speeding into their conversation.

"Amy didn't invite me to the girl's day at the hot springs!" Sticks pouted.

"Wait, since when did you like girly stuff like that?" Sonic asked.

"Amy can't invite Winter and not me," Sticks huffed.

"Yeah!" Knuckles added. "Amy can't invite Winter and not me!"

"Bro, if you're going, I'll go," Sonic said, suddenly piqued. "And that means we need to have Tails come, too! Bro Day at the hot springs!" Knuckles said the last sentence with him.

"How did this happen again?" Amy grumbled, wedged in between Knuckles and Sticks in the crowded plane. Tails was in the front, and Sonic and Winter had each taken a wing. Worst of all, she only had two hours to prepare, not three, so she couldn't model her Berry Dazzling nail color with her new mauve tankini.

"Just loosen up," Winter responded, shouting to be heard against the wind.

"Easy for you to say," Amy grumbled. Winter had applied a perfect coat of Tropical Glitterfest last night, and it matched perfectly with her eyes and stunning white tankini. Already before it started, her girl's day was ruined…

As was her peace and quiet. "Let's have a diving competition," Knuckles suggested to everyone upon arrival.

Amy rubbed her forehead, feeling the stress pile on despite the soothing heat. "Knux, I don't think that's such a good idea," she began. Too late, as usual.

"Ouchouchouchouch OUCH!" he exclaimed, shooting out of the water. "I think I burned my tail off!"

"This spot is good for splashing," Sticks suggested, jumping into a corner of the pool. "Hey, Tails, did you bring the volleyball? We could do water polo or something!"

"Count me in," Tails cried out, spiking the ball into the water. "Winter, go for it!"

Amy watched the chaos with a dull look in her eyes. Giving up, she decided to lounge about in a more shallow side of the pool, so she could stay far enough away to tune out, but close enough to the heat to still get a good soak. She was relaxing for a few minutes when the water splashed next to her. "Huh?" She turned to face Sonic, who took a place beside her.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, not really caring either way.

Amy didn't mind at all, though. "Why aren't you playing around with them?" she asked, rather bluntly. She was usually jealous when his attention was directed elsewhere, but the opposite scenario had her at a loss for what to do.

"I can't swim. Not that I'd ever need to, with my speed. What about you? Why aren't _you_ playing with them?" He was completely direct with his speech. Amy realized he had always been, but with no one around to listen, the conversation suddenly felt more intimate. Just the two of them.

"Oh, well… I just came to relax. Ease off the stress, you know?"

"That's usually why I run," Sonic admitted. "Just to see the whole world flying by- Makes me feel insignificant, but in a good way. Just another piece of the picture."

"I wish I could run like that." Amy sighed and looked down. "You don't ever get tired, do you? Running just stresses me out more."

"Well, it's a good thing we're here then, huh?" Sonic asked, his striking eyes meeting her own.

"Y-Yeah." Amy looked away, suddenly bashful. "I suppose it is."

"Cute swimsuit, by the way." He no longer faced her direction when he said that, but found sudden interest in the shoreline. "It makes your nail polish color seem brighter."

"You're right, it does!" Amy exclaimed. Berry Dazzling would have aligned nicely with the mauve, but it wasn't the same complimentary contrast as the Rainforest Wonder she currently had on. Her eyes widened, and her face turned pink again. "Did you just compliment my swimsuit?"

Sonic coughed and said no more. Thankfully he didn't have to, because a very old, worn out volleyball came sailing towards them and landed, right in front of Amy, splashing her quills. "Join the party, Amez!" Winter shouted, waving happily.

"Why don't you?" Sonic agreed, taking the ball and spinning it on a finger. "I'm sure a little game is exactly what your run-free stress needs."

"What about you?" Amy asked, taking his other hand. It wasn't a symbol of affection, but an old habit. She was usually the one to drag him into the fun.

"I'll be fine," Sonic smirked, then tossed her a wink with the volleyball. "I'm the fastest thing alive! A little bit of water isn't going to get me down. That being said, I've been feeling pretty run down, myself. I think I'm just going to relax here." He patted her shoulder, then sent her off.

"Sonic!" Amy complained, but she was smiling. He gave her a nod of encouragement, and she served the ball into the game.

Sonic sighed and rested his hands behind his head, listening to the sounds of the game. It was his first trip to the hot springs surprisingly, but he could see himself coming back. It really was relaxing, but his favorite part of the day was when Amy played rather violently and managed to score a point against Knux, even if she had slipped the rules a TINY bit.

"You like her, don't you?" Winter said beside him. Sonic had been so focused on his friend that he hadn't notice her leave the game.

"What is it to you?" Sonic asked, raising an eyebrow and pretending he wasn't startled. "It shouldn't be anything. You're just a kid."

"I'm older than she is," Winter pointed, her mouth twisting into a pout. "You can't keep using that excuse. I'm just saying, there are a lot of fish in the ocean, and Amy looks a little caught."

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked, unhappy all of a sudden. His relaxing mood was turned to another type of stress, the one that made him want to fight against everything that went wrong, everyone who didn't deserve Amy's attention.

"Are you kidding me? Can't you see how she's straight up flirting with Knux?" Winter laughed bitterly, then shook her head. "Sorry, pal. She left you for him. You might want to up your game a little bit."

Sonic's quills started to stand up, mirroring with his agitation. "Amy's in love with Knuckles? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Okay, suit yourself," Winter backed off. "I'm going to go back to playing volleyball. Or water polo. Or whatever they're playing, because I'm not sure. But it is good to have friends like you guys. I'm surprised you've taken care of me this far."

"Surprised?" Sonic asked. "That's a terrible way to view life. We help whoever needs it."

Winter frowned before turning away. "After so long, people stop thinking it's worth it to help. But I'll see how you guys do."

Sonic frowned, and decided it was time to leave. The hot springs were getting uncomfortable. He needed to run off some stress.


End file.
